Concord man now faces witness tampering charges in sex case

By JAMES A. KIMBLEUnion Leader Correspondent

BRENTWOOD — A Concord man headed to trial on charges that he solicited sex from a 15-year-old Portsmouth girl was arrested for allegedly threatening a witness while he was free on bail, according to prosecutors.

.Brad Lizotte, 47, was charged with two counts of felony witness tampering by Portsmouth police earlier this week, which is prompting the county attorney’s office to pursue harsher penalties on his latest set of charges...“Crimes committed while out on bail are subject to enhanced penalties,” County Attorney James Reams said on Thursday.

New Hampshire law allows for prosecutors to seek up to seven years in additional prison time when a crime is committed while a defendant is free on bail...Reams said his office will “absolutely” seek enhanced charges against Lizotte in his latest case, and may seek to revoke his bail.

Lizotte is currently being held on $20,000 bail at the Rockingham County jail...He heads to trial Nov. 4 in Rockingham County Superior Court on charges of indecent exposure and endangering the welfare of a child.

Lizotte is accused of soliciting the girl for sex between June 12 and Sept. 29...His latest arrest comes weeks after a superior court judge ruled that prosecutors could use statements Lizotte made to police as they searched his home on Oct. 18. Portsmouth police detectives, Rebecca Hester and Kristyn Bernier interviewed Lizotte, asking him about his phone, how he used his computer, his relationship with the victim and his conversations with the girl...Defense lawyer Jared Bedrick argued in court papers that police had set up a situation in which Lizotte would feel pressured into submitting to questions.